Released on Boxing Day, Nine is a film about the live and loves of  film director Guido Contini. The Italian struggles to reconcile his professional talent with his playboy side and the seven women in his life. These women are played by Sophia Loren, Fergie, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Judi Dench, Marion Cottilard and  Peneople Cruz.

But who cares about the plot? It’s all about the fashion.   Kate Hudson is championing the slutty look in thigh high boots, Kidman is classy in corsets and Judi Dench is all about the uber female in suits. Penelope Cruz is smouldering as ever in lace.  Black is the colour du jour for  the film- what else?

Check out the trailer:

I hate the assumption that women who like fashion must be dumb.

Just because you like dresses does not equal a brain deficit. Think of Michelle O (yes,I am obsessed); Carla Bruni; Queen Noor of Jordan. These women are all extraordinarily smart, powerful and can rock a shift dress with class.

Brainless shop loving WAGs can give the average fashion loving girl a bad name.

If you are of the same view as me, check out Running in Heels – it’s a magazine that mixes dresses with social commentary. Or in the words of its Ed:

” We don’t just stick to the traditional fashion, beauty, gossip and boyfriends-type content – there are lots of interesting articles about society, politics, culture, the internet, literature etc etc…”

I am starting to write for the site in the next few weeks so watch out for my work.

http://runninginheels.co.uk/

It’s hard to pick just ten fashion icons but I’ll have a go. Not all of the icons I have chosen are people – some are fashion items. Personally I think that an item of clothing or accessory can easily become as iconic as a face. Sometimes one bag can symbolise a thousand things…

1. Kate Moss

Legend, Icon, Scandal ridden woman. She is an icon not just because of what she wears but how she wears it.Spotted by Storm at 15, she has been an icon now for over half her life.  Some might say that she is the definition of infamy but fashion loves her. She wears it well.

Images above show some of her many Vougue covers and a sample from her clothing line.

2. The Birkin

Rockin’ in at £5,000, this baby is one few of us will be lucky enough to own. The beautiful leather bag is made by Hermès.  It is named after British-born actress and singer Jane Birkin.

Miss Victoria Beckham  is surely the planet’s biggest owner of these babies- apparently owning over 100. If you want to rival her collection, I suggest you apply now – the waiting list can be up to two years.

http://www.stylelist.com/2009/05/19/victoria-beckham-birkin-bag-lady/

3. Audrey Hepburn

How could one not include her in any fashion icon list? With a face that translates the world over she has a timeless beauty. Her Breakfast at Tiffanys look is much emulated at fancy dress parties year after year, and more subtly in Chanel collections. What do I love about her? The fact that she looks classy, flawless and acts like a total crank in the film. Good on you, girl.

4. Twiggy

Twiggy is not dismmailar to Ms Hepburn in that they have a common elfin grace. The 60s lass was hailed as the world’s first true supermodel. She is still in fashion (albeit for M& S). To make it even better she is a Scot, a fellow Weegie.

5. Kurt Cobain

Let’s face it, I have never been a Nirvana girl but his style did something for every girl.  Spearheading the huge 90′s grunge fashion trend, he brought Converse and Docs to the mainstream. He’s about the ony guy I have ever seen who looks good with long bleach blond locks. He even made it ok for young men to do cardis. A poet and a style icon: it’s just a shame that Courtney was his worst accessory.

6. The 2.55

7. Michael Jackson

Much as I don’t like him, his influence on fashion can’t be disputed. Think military jackets with braiding, thos funny gloves, leather trousers. He made them all cool and his legacy goes beyond the grave.

8. Madonna

80s-fashion-madonna

9. Princess Diana

The girl who spawned a thousand girls’ fairy tale dreams with that dress. The dress, although a bit of a meringue, was designed by David Emmanuel and is classically beautiful. Diana’s style evolved into something more sleek and sloaney as time went on and she picked up on designers such as Versace. But whatever she wore, she wore with class and that’s the true mark of an icon.

10. Michelle Obama

Some might say she’s a contraversial choice for number 10, but she is the first black first lady and that’s a worthy style statement in itself. Championing new designers like Jason Wu, she is making modern yet classic fashion choices. Mark me, she will leave a legacy bigger than Jackie O.

This post is for my friend who has recently returned from travelling foreign climes with a wardrobe  of little more than a rucksack’s worth. Now she has to settle back into Scottish weather and adopt a professional wardrobe in the search for a job.  And she is pushed for cash.

1.  Begin by looking  at your current wardrobe.

Sort it into piles of: what you wear all the time; what you wear sometimes and what you have not worn for over a year.  These three piles will prove very important.

2.What you wear the most

The ‘most ‘worn’ pile. There will be good reasons you wear these items again and again. It is probably a combination of  comfort; that they flatter you and that they are practical.  For example, your blue sweater dress, J, really works for you in terms of colour (strong colour is good against your olive skin) and the shape is flattering. Buy more pieces like this – eg a similar  sweater dress in black would be v useful.

3. How to make your wardrobe work harder

Items you sometimes wear – could you wear them more often if you invested in accessories/ basics to go with them?  For example, do you have a summery print dress that you could wear in Winter if you had pure wool tights (about £5 from Pretty Polly) and a black cardi to layer over? Buy basics to go with these items.

4. Organise a swapshop with friends

Items you never wear – organise a swapshop with friends. Xmas is the perfect time to do this as people have more time off and less cash as they have spent it all on presents. Get your mates round, a couple bottles of cava and organise your clothes into piles. Swap each other mercilessly – one woman’s crap is another’s gold.

5. Getting those basics

Neutrals -black, navy, cream – are the best investment.  Get yourself down somewhere purse friendly – Primark, New Look, Matalan, Peacocks – and buy your basics. As a rough guide for a professional wardrobe I suggest:

a black shift dress (not too short you are a working gal now)

a suit jacket  – again black or navy is a safe bet and will work from interviews or with jeans at the weekend

a couple colourful cardis to jazz up your look

plain black court shoes with a low heel – again good for the office or for a dinner date with a dress.

smart trousers with a subtle pattern – a gentle tweed or muted grey marl would work

6. Playing it safe

Until you start you job, you won’t have the full measure of the dress etiquette so aim high – be smart until you know dress down Fridays exist.

7. Accessorise, Accessorise, Accessorise

A print scarf at the neck or a cute belt will help you transform a plain look. I have found my best ones in charity shops as then they feel more unique.

8. Weekend versus work

Keep certain items purely for the weekend – e.g hippy bracelets. Whilst you love their authenticity an employer may not. Bring them out at the weekends only to remind you how special you are.

9. Get a good haircut

Alot of salons will be cheaper during the week when they need more business so if you  have free time now use it. Last time I went by this Hair by Hanlon, Glasgow they were doing a credit crunch special for £25:

Hair By Hanlon, 713 Great Western Road

10. Wear it well

Whatever you wear, however cheap or expensive, believe in it. Wear your clothes with confidence and never buy something you don’t feel comfortable in. Love your own style and others will too…

See stylist Tim Gunn for more:

Ladies (and gents) it’s your chance to have a say in fashion. Fed up of being dictated to by the haute couture of the catwalk? Take back a slice of power and vote in the British Fashion Awards, organised by the British Fashion Council. Admittedly, there is only one award open to the public vote – the London 25 Award. A part of the BFC’s 25th birthday celebrations you can vote for someone who embodies the spirit of London fashion. Other awards include: Emerging Talent, the Designer Brand of the year and British Collection of the Year.

Rock chick Daisy Lowe is nominated for model of the year. Hope she remembers to wear some clothes. It’s kinds the point of a model.

What a surprise, another rock royalty girl – Georgia May Jagger - is nominated for the same award. Anyone sensing a theme…?

See Marie-Claire for details of this year’s full list of nominees:

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/fashion/432879/2009-british-fashion-awards-nominees-announced.html

Little Suri Cruise. Starting to look more and more like her mum every day. And more and more like… a fashion princess!

On any grown woman, I would applaud her style, on a toddler? It’s just wrong. Not that I am specialist in pediatrics, but I am smart enough to know the bones of a child’s foot are very delicate when they are still forming. Wearing heels at her age is a recipe for orthopaedic problems by the time she hits 30.

And her crime is not a one off.

Aside from the physical issues, there are the psychological ones. Now being a product of Hollywood, she will no doubt be in therapy by her teens anway. However, it’s not going to help that she has been chanelled into the fashion and thus the mindset of a sex kitten age 3. Heels spell sex: on a toddler they are  just wrong.

And The Guardian agrees with me:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/sep/24/deborah-orr-suri-cruise

When it comes to fashion and friendship, here is a golden rule: always be honest!

Yesterday, I was shopping (again).  The girl behind me in the queue was debating v loudly with her chavvy mate whether or not the shoes she was buying would match her Xmas party frock. Her mate kept reassuring her “They’re heavy stunning together”. The purchasee still sounded unconvinced. Eventually, she tapped me on the shoulder and asked my opinion.

I thought for 2 seconds – do I offend a random stranger (bigger than me) buy telling her they don’t go? Oh yes I did. The dress was bracelet sleeved, short and black with embellished  gold bead shoulders – v. nice. The shoes were slapper style open toe black with silver sparkle. Open shoes in Winter are only worn by strippers. Thankfully, on my advice she put back the shoes and opted for closed toes black and gold pair. Job done.

The moral of the story? You should be able to rely on your friend’s honesty – not a stranger’s.

The perfect dress can change your life: you know it.

Those of you have a significant other -can you remember what you were wearing the  first time you met? I’ll bet my favourite pair of shoes you can. Can you remember what he was wearing? Yes, again.

The importance of an outfit particularly hits home at Christmas. For most women, their Xmas party outfit defines their Xmas. What kind of night you have will be determined by the length of your hemline and the amount of sequins that you wear.

Girls – get shopping now. Forget that present list – worthy shopping can wait. Right now you need the outfit that is going to change your life. Good luck.

If you need inspiration see:

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/best/24813/1/0/christmas-party-dresses.html

This gold Grecian inspired number is a slice of heaven. I would forgo all other presents for it.

I blame Descartes.

Yeah, you know that ol’ French philosopher guy.

Ok, so you might not think he had much to do with fashion – being permanently attached to his wig and cape in the way men were a few hundred years ago – but listen to my theory.

Descarte wrote about the mind and body being inextricably linked. Ya just can’t have one without the other. Now, translated to modern culture and our consumerism obsession, his theory goes thus: you can’t be judged purely on your intellect because people have to first of all consider how you look.

The first thing I do when I meet a new person is a quick mental assessment of how they look.  What’s her dress like, does it fit her properly? Is his hair too long? I love her earrings! That kinda thing.

Now call me superficial, but I’m not the only one. Take the press and Mrs Obama. Since her husband took power, how many column inches have been devoted to her dress sense? (For those of you out of the loop, I’m talking her modern use of twinsets, pearls and skinny belts.) And how many inches do you think have been devoted to her intellect? ( Remember she’s a Harvard Law graduate). In fact, see the website dedicated to her outfits:

http://mrs-o.org/

And she even scored a Vogue cover.

Good to know I am not the only one who thinks in clothes.